Alicia Caldwell

Caldwell: Congress needs to seal the deal on Hermosa Creek protection

Hermosa Creek in Southwest Colorado is beautiful in many ways. To anglers, it is trout heaven. To mountain bikers, it is an awesome place to ride. To miners, it is a limited but valuable source of minerals.

In some circumstances, these constituencies would fight over the future of this wild piece of U.S. Forest Service land just outside Durango.

But that's not the story that has played out.

No, these interests came together in 2007 and began talking and compromising until they had a plan everybody could live with.

And now they're asking Congress to pass the watershed protection bill that is the result of their work. And it needs to happen soon, before elections become the sole focus of Washington, D.C., and a lame-duck Congress presides.

"All the concessions were made in the community," said Ty Churchwell, a Durango resident who is backcountry coordinator for Trout Unlimited. "There's nothing for them to do in D.C. but vote it forward."

If the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act, which has bipartisan support among Colorado's congressional delegation, isn't passed by the end of the year, the 113th Congress will expire.

That means this coalition would have to get new letters of support, perhaps deal with newly elected local officials, and begin the process of shepherding the bill through congressional committees all over again.

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There is no reason for that.

The measure has no opposition. It's heartily supported by U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, a Republican, who are sponsoring companion bills that would confer additional protections on nearly 108,000 acres of rugged land just 8 miles north of Durango.

Because it's so close to Durango, Hermosa Creek is a community treasure and a source of recreational tourism that the city needs and depends upon.

The reason the Hermosa Creek protection bill has such strong and broad support is because of how it zones uses, preserving 38,000 acres as wilderness, the highest level of protection. An additional 70,000 acres would be designated as a special management area. Part of the area would remain open to existing motorized and mechanized access on a trail system.

This is important because it allows mountain bikers and dirt-bike enthusiasts to continue using the popular, 18-mile Hermosa Creek Trail.

Yet the best trout creeks and elk habitat would get higher levels of protection in a different zone. And two existing mining claims would be allowed to continue to operate in small zones at the north and south ends of the protected area.

The watershed protection plan is the epitome of collaboration. Its list of supporters and champions includes dozens of businesses and sporting and conservation groups. Local governments are on board, too.

The only ones left to convince are members of Congress, who have to take a few more steps to get this bill to the finish line.

Unfortunately, that won't be easy. This is the most polarized Congress in recent memory and getting even a non-controversial bill passed is a dicey proposition.

On top of that, there is pushback in Washington on environmental measures and talk about how too much land is "locked up" by federal protections.

Consequently, the real action has been taken by the president, who has used the Antiquities Act to protect several areas, including Colorado's Chimney Rock.

I understand, however, the insistence by locals who want congressional action, believing they have done everything right and deserve a favorable vote.

I can't argue with them on that, and neither should federal lawmakers.

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